To celebrate the 250th anniversary of the institution, David Chipperfield Architects has rejuvenated the Royal Academy&aposs (RA) "unloved building" at 6 Burlington Gardens and connected it to the institution&aposs main building, Burlington House.

As a result, the RA now has exhibition spaces permanently dedicated to architecture – a first for the institution.

"The project grappled with two fundamental questions – how do you convincingly connect these two buildings and how do you give purposeful identity to what happens in this building [Burlington Gardens]," David Chipperfield told Dezeen during a tour of the building.

Previously entered from a separate entrance, the 19th-century Burlington Gardens building sits directly behind the institution&aposs main property in Piccadilly.

The former home of the Civil Service Commission, the British Academy and the British Museum&aposs Museum of Mankind, the Grade-II listed building was purchased by the RA in 1991.

The renovation has greatly expanded the amount of publicly accessible space for exhibitions in the building. But one of the biggest challenges was how to connect the building both ideologically and physically to the RA&aposs main property, Burlington House. An enclosed concrete bridge was the chosen solution.

Chipperfield described the renovation as a series of interventions that are designed to bring the best from the historic building and fully connect it to the RA.

"It wasn&apost a project that you had to land big ideas on," he said. "It&aposs a masterplan made of small pieces. There are very diagnostic, punctual interventions as oppposed to a large overall drawing."

"The most punctual intervention, clearly, is connecting the two front doors," he added. "The question is do you go down or do you go up."

To avoid taking the route through gallery spaces, as was proposed in a previous design by Hopkins Architects, Chipperfield chose to link the buildings at ground level.

The public route that connects the buildings leads down the stairs at the back of Burlington House into a vault, which was previously a storage space but is now a public gallery.

Related story

David Chipperfield designs £5 coin to mark Royal Academy of Arts&apos 250th anniversary

The route then passes through a former studio of the Royal Academy School, before heading up a flight of steps and across the bridge into the Burlington Gardens building.

"There&aposs a down-vale, over-hill quality to it," said Chipperfield. "On paper its torturous – I&aposm hoping that experientially its not so bad."

Under the bridge, an outdoor courtyard that will be shared by the school and the RA&aposs staff has been created.

David Chipperfield Architects renovated the interior of Burlington Gardens with a light touch, to create modern spaces appropriate for displaying art.

"It had been eroded over time – no-one had loved it. Everything had been compromised in it. No-one really liked the building any more," said Chipperfield.

"People felt it needed substantial modification. Our feeling was it didn&apost. It needed a bit of care and attention, and a bit of love," he continued.

"We were fairly convinced that underneath, although it may not become the most beautiful building of this period, but it is certainly a substantial building with good spaces."

The building&aposs grand staircase and circulation spaces have been restored, with the tiles on the floor of the first floor landing replaced.

The first floor houses a renovated gallery that is now the home to the RA&aposs permanent collections, including an early copy of the Last Supper, painted by one of Leonardo&aposs students aroundꀕ20.